Approximation Algorithms for Scheduling with Resource and Precedence Constraints

Abstract

We study non-preemptive scheduling problems on identical parallel machines and uniformly related machines under both resource constraints and general precedence constraints between jobs. Our first result is an O(logn)-approximation algorithm for the objective of minimizing the makespan on parallel identical machines under resource and general precedence constraints. We then use this result as a subroutine to obtain an O(logn)-approximation algorithm for the more general objective of minimizing the total weighted completion time on parallel identical machines under both constraints. Finally, we present an O(logm logn)-approximation algorithm for scheduling under these constraints on uniformly related machines. We show that these results can all be generalized to include the case where each job has a release time. This is the first upper bound on the approximability of this class of scheduling problems where both resource and general precedence constraints must be satisfied simultaneously.